The Very First Light: The True Inside Story of the Scientific Journey Back to the Dawn of the Universe

by John C. Mather, John Boslough

In 1990 and 1992, a NASA-led team of scientists from the COBE project changed the way we view the universe. They showed that the microwave radiation that fills the universe must have come from the Big Bang itself—effectively proving this theory beyond any doubt. It was one of the greatest scientific findings of our generation, perhaps of all time.In this no-holds-barred account, COBE's originator and Project Scientist, John Mather, and science writer John Boslough provide the intimate and startling details of how big science is done today. They tell of the discovery of the cosmic background radiation and of the fifteen-year struggle to design, build and launch the COBE satellite, including the unwelcome controversy when one team member breached the project's publication policy and stepped into the limelight alone. The Very First Light presents a rarely seen inside account of the world of big science, where cooperation and competition battle for supremacy. At the height of the project, more than 1,500 scientists, engineers, designers, and support staff worked on the spacecraft. The project was especially difficult because two of the three instruments were cooled to within a few degrees of absolute zero.When the Challenger exploded in 1986, the shuttle program was grounded indefinately, leaving the COBE with no route to space. The last available Delta rocket was approved for the mission, but now the team had to slash the spacecraft's five-ton weight in half. The story of this feat provides a remarkable behind-the-scenes look into the high-stakes, frenetic world of a big science project and NASA itself. The Very First Light is a portrait of science no serious reader will want to miss.

Genres: Science, Astronomy, Physics, History, Technology, Nonfiction

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as part of my research for an article about John Mather, which I wrote for his (and my) alma mater, Swarthmore College. But I found myself enjoying it more than I expected to. The best thing about the book is that it gives the inside story of what it takes to pull off a NASA science mission -- all the bureaucratic hurdles, the personality conflicts, and the sheer dogged determination. After all, it was 16 years from when the COBE mission was first proposed (1974) to when it lifted off (1990). And this is not unusual, it is really the norm for NASA missions.

One thing *was* unusual about the COBE mission: it is the only NASA mission that led to a Nobel Prize for its principal scientist. Mather is extremely modest and understated about the prize. When he writes about the award in a chapter that was added on for this edition, he does it in a detached scientific fashion, with a certain wry amusement, as if it barely even involved him. One thing he feels strongly about is that the award doesn't "belong" to him. It's really an award for the hundreds of people who worked on the mission.

The one thing that seems to get under Mather's skin in this book is the behavior of his Nobel Prize co-winner, George Smoot, who seems to have taken exactly the opposite view of the mission. Smoot, in Mather's telling, deliberately tried to hog the credit for himself, withheld some of his data from the rest of the team and generally was not a team player. The problems with Smoot were deep-rooted and began many years before the Nobel, even before the mission lifted off. Although it's sad to see the estrangement that developed between the two of them, I can tell you that it makes for a considerably more interesting read. All is not sweetness and light in Science Land. I'm glad that Mather didn't shy away from writing about this, but also didn't make too big a deal about it either.

Mather is also the principal scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope, which is scheduled to launch later this year (2021). I'm sure he will get a lot of well-deserved publicity later this year, and he will have no interest in it. That's the way he is! We should start seeing some results from the Webb telescope in 2022. COBE will be a heck of an act to follow, but if anyone can do it, it's John Mather.

[Tom Schulte · Rating 3 out of 5]

The anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) consists of the small temperature fluctuations in the blackbody radiation left over from the Big Bang. This is the story of the COBE satellite experiment platform that definitively documented this state. From one of the scientists involved, this is the inside story of the years of effort involved in getting this accepted by the scientific community at large, NASA specifically (even after the mission-limiting Challenger disaster) and the ultimate vindication of discovery. From the cover of the first edition of Wrinkles in Time, Stephen Hawking calls this event "the scientific discovery of the century, if not all time". So, it is worth reading to see how the battle of bureaucracy versus vision is how such discoveries are made, now.

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this book did an excellent job of letting the reader understand the breadth of work and teamwork that goes into a NASA space mission. For that alone it was a great read. Not too much science to get bogged down in and a good pace. Most of all I appreciate (and respect) the author for not using the word "I" nearly as much as I would expect from a Nobel laureate. If anything, he under sells himself.

While getting too sciency would take away from the readability and what I assume was the goal of this book to cover scope, I wanted a little more. When the author describes devices and concepts I got lost at times despite having an engineering background. A diagram or two that supports the text would have helped. A couple of pictures of the assembled craft would have been nice. An illustrated edition with a few color slides would be great (if not economical).

Read this if you enjoy science for science's sake.

[Peter Sidell · Rating 5 out of 5]

As impossible as understanding the moment the universe was created seems this story is a great example of what happens when we try and of what can be accomplished. The authors do a great job of explaining many complex ideas in physics and astronomy.
While oversimplifications must abound in the end they echo Einstein’s dictum: “make everything as simple as possible but no simpler.”
Perhaps a little more than I wanted to hear about the interpersonal competitions but they are part of the story and part of the puzzle.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly interesting, but neither simple/narrative enough for a non-expert nor technical enough for someone in the field.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mather offers a comprehensive and accessible history of the study of the Cosmic Background Radiation, leading up to COBE, the Cosmic Background Explorer. The book chronicles the often seemingly insurmountable difficulties related to developing new technologies for this cutting-edge mission, and provides a unique insight into the inner workings of the NASA bureaucracy.

Along with the story of how the satellite was built, there is a subplot revolving around the vagaries of large competing science teams and the allotment of credit for major discoveries. George Smoot, the co-winner of the Nobel Prize along with John Mather, is cast in a decidedly negative light, perhaps not undeservedly. Reality is usually more nuanced than any one person's version of events however, so though Mather seems justified in his criticism of Smoot, it is still a partisan account of a conflict.

Overall I enjoyed the account, especially the explanation of the critical results.

[Charlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! John Mather won the Nobel for his work using COBE to find the cosmic background radiation, which painted a picture of the early universe. You can look online for recent talks in which he provides beautiful images of outlined in the book.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Azwh1...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu1I7...

[Jasson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring story of a struggling team to apply big-science to measure and verify our understanding of the first evolutionary steps of the universe.

[Brian Boyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview of an endeavour. But I am yearning for just reading technical books now. Wonderful achievement retold. Sort of like watching the movie.